GLP-1-Based Therapies: Cost, Coverage, and Access for Transformative Drugs
- HealthXcelerate
Group Enrollment Option Popular with companies and institutions for team-wide training.
Discover how payers and policy makers see GLP-1s and learn how coverage decisions about these therapies are made.
- Online; Self-Paced
Enroll and gain access to course materials to complete at your own pace.
$495
Explore options to bundle courses and save.
Certificate
Earn a short course certificate of completion when you finish all coursework within 8 weeks.
3-4 Hours
Most people can expect to complete short courses in 3-4 hours.
On This Page
Overview
In GLP-1-Based Therapies: Cost, Coverage, and Access for Transformative Drugs, led by Benjamin Rome, MD, MPH, you will examine how GLP-1 receptor agonists are changing the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and related cardiometabolic conditions—and what that means for coverage, affordability, and health system performance. This course traces GLP-1s from basic science and early diabetes indications to current obesity and cardiometabolic uses. During the course, you will consider how patents, delivery devices, pricing, and competition for these therapies are likely to shape the next decade.
You will see how GLP-1s reveal pressure points across payers, PBMs, and benefit design; how direct-to-consumer models and compounding pathways emerged in response to shortages and coverage gaps; and how value, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact frameworks inform decisions in the U.S. and abroad. Using GLP-1s as a running case, you will build a practical framework you can apply to this and future high-cost, high-value therapies.
Learning Objectives
- Summarize the history of GLP-1s and the evidence supporting their safety and effectiveness for diabetes, obesity, and related conditions.
- Analyze how policies related to patent protection and competition shape the costs and availability of GLP-1s.
- Explain how value, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact frameworks affect coverage and pricing decisions in the US and abroad.
- Outline how GLP‑1 medications are adopted and accessed across different payers, patient groups, and identify key barriers to use.
- Describe the alternative access pathways that have emerged for GLP-1s and other medications in response to coverage restrictions.
- Apply a framework to evaluate how policies and strategies can promote broader access to GLP-1s and other transformative new medicines.
Who Should Participate
Health care professionals throughout the industry seeking better understanding of the health care system
What Will You Gain
- Clearly explain what GLP-1 medications are, how they work, and why they represent a transformative drug class.
- Map how high-cost drugs move from manufacturer to patient, including from list price through PBM contracting, formulary design, utilization management, and patient cost sharing.
- Summarize how patents, regulatory protections, and the timing of generic drug entry affect pricing and availability of GLP-1s and other high-impact drugs.
- Describe the main coverage tools payers use for costly therapies and how these determine patient access.
- Identify when alternative access channels are likely to improve access or when they might introduce risks to quality, safety, or fairness.
About the Course
HealthXcelerate courses offer a foundational, 360‑degree view of the health care ecosystem, drawing on the expertise of Harvard Medical School faculty and industry leaders. With a focus on the patient experience, the curriculum explores how the U.S. system compares with those of other countries, how clinical care connects to the broader health care industry, and how patients navigate and influence the system. Learners who complete HealthXcelerate courses build fluency and credibility in communicating key issues, critically assessing barriers to quality and access, and identifying opportunities for leadership and innovation.
Who Should Enroll
This program will benefit industry and clinical leaders across the health care ecosystem; research and innovation managers with increasing global responsibility; entrepreneurs and consultants; business and technology professionals who work closely with health care organizations; and those transitioning into the health care space.
Bundle Pricing: Build Your Personal Curriculum
Are you ready to elevate your educational journey and maximize the investment in your future?
You can bundle up to five courses. Bundle discounts apply to all courses selected. A bundle can consist of courses in the same upcoming enrollment period or the following enrollment period. Bundle-eligible courses include HMX and HealthXcelerate.
Two-course bundle: 25% discount
Three-course bundle: 30% discount
Four-course bundle: 35% discount
Five-course bundle: 40% discount
Faculty Leads
Each course within the HealthXcelerate program features Harvard Medical School faculty and leading experts in the field.
Benjamin Rome
MD, MPH
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Health Policy Researcher and Physician, Brigham and Women's Hospital
HealthXcelerate is an excellent opportunity to learn more about all aspects of the U.S. health care system. The flexible course framework makes it easier to integrate into my busy work days than other programs.
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